Poultry-picking frame.



H. C. PIERCE.

POULTRY PICKING FRAME. 'APPLICATION FILED AUG-4. m4.

19,155,004. PatntedSepfl- 28 1915.v

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

W'fneasea AWen/far dffarng/ H. C. PIERCE.

POULTRY PICKING FRAME. APPLICATION FILED AUG-4. I914.

1,155,004. PatentedSept'. 28, 1915.

2'SHEETSSHEET 2.

K147063565 I I hue/ 7hr HOWARD C. PIERCE, 01 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

POULTRY-PICKING FRAME.

Application filed August 4, 1914. Serial No. 855,06t.

(DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD C. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States,and an employee of the Department of Agriculture of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city of Worcester, State of Massachusetts,(Whose post-ofiice address is Worcester, Massachusetts) have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Poultry- Picking Frames, of whichthe following is a specification.

This application is made under'the act of Maroh 3, 1883, Ch. 143 (22Stat, 625), and the invention herein described and claimed may be usedby the Government of the United States, or any of its officers oremployees, in the prosecution of work for the United States, or by anyperson in the United States,.without the payment of any royalty thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which is inexpensive,simple in construction, and specially adapted for holding live fowl in aconvenient position for killing, bleeding, and picking.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a device suitablyequipped for saving the feathers removed from the birds after killingand for catching and saving the blood of the birds killed.

My invention is further designed to enable the operations involved inkilling, bleeding, and picking birds to be performed with comparativeease and in a clean and sanitary manner, without danger of the body ofthe bird becoming soiled by contact with feathers or blood.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of my invention may bemore readily understood from the following description taken inconnection with accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my poultry picking frame in operativeposition; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same device with thereceptacle for receiving the feathers removed; Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the upper poultry support or holder; Fig. 4 is a detailperspective view of funnel and tube.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a base strip or rod which may,if desired, be adjusted to the floor or a post in any suit- Secured tothe upper end of able manner for holding the frame in a stable position.Intersecting said rod 1, approximate its center, and extending laterallytherefrom is another base strip or rod 2, which said rod, together withrod 1, constitutes the base of the mechanism. lhe end of rod 2 may besecured to any fixed object for rendering said rod effectivelystationary in conjunction with rod 1. Adjusted to rod 1, near itscenter, is an upright 3, and adjusted to the end of rod 2 is anotherupright, 4:, which is shorter than upright 3. Said rods, 1 and 2, andsaid uprights, 3 and i, form the frame of the apparatus. upright 3 is asleeve, 5, through which passes an adjustable handle or holder 6,provided with a series of recesses 7. Swiveled to the handle, 6, is abifurcated hook, 8 for holding the fowl in position for killing andpicking. Sleeve 5 is provided with a dog, 9, which is employed forregulating the adjustment of the handle, 6, by engaging recess 7.

Upright i is provided with a channel, 10, for receiving support, 11.Support 11 is provided with a series of recesses, 12, and is adapted tobe moved upward or downward in said channel for adjustment. Secured tosaid support 11 is a collar 13, through which passes a tube, 14:,bearing at its upper end a sharp hook, 15, fixedly adjusted in a shield,16. W hen support 11 is elevated it carries upward with it tube 1% bymeans of the collar 13, and when'said support 11 is lowered said tube14: automatically descends with said support. Support 11 and tube 14:may be held at varying heights by means of the dog 17, fixed to upright1, engaging recess 12 for locking said support. Upright 4 and tube 14:are so constructed that when said support and tube are elevated to theirfull height the upper end of said tube will be lower than the extendedend of the handle 6. These parts are constructed in this way so that thebird to be dressed may be held by the device in a tilted position, inorder that the bird may be completely bled. Holding the bird in a tiltedposition is attained by placing the legs of the fowl in the bifurcationsof the hook 8 and fastening its head to hook 15 adjusted to tube 14.Secured to upright 4 is a second collar 18 which retains the in-Speciflcation of Letters Patent. Patented Septi 28, 1915.

I hook, 16, is held firmly by hook 15. By holdingv verted funnel 19 ina, vertical position. lhe

funnel 19 forms a cover for pail 20 resting in holder 21 secured toupright 4. The tube 14 is provided at its lower end with a stud 22 forengaging ring 23, secured to the interior of said funnel, when the tube,14, is elevated, thereby providing means for preventing tube 14 frombeing pulled out of the funnel 19 during the adjustment of themechanism. Ring 23 is provided with a slot 24, through which the stud,22, may

pass when tube 14 is placed in proper posi- Y affording means by whichtube 14 may be removed from the funnel 19 by the operator whennecessary. Arranged between uprights 3 and 4 is a movable receptacle,25, in which the feathers removed tion, thus 4 from the birds aredropped.

Any suitable material may be used in the construction of the apparatusherein de scribed. All parts of the said device may be so constructedthat they can be easily rewhich action suspends the bird in asemivertical position ,by' reason of the bifurcated hook, in which thelegs of the bird are gripped, being adjusted at a point higher than hook15. 4 While in this position the bird is suspended above the receptacle25 ready for picking. Its legs are kept sepa-' rated and held firmly bythe bifurcated 8, and its head, hanging over shield the bird rigidly inthis manner, no blood is spattered on the feathers falling intoreceptacle 25 or on the bird, or on the operator, as the shield 16prevents blood from falling outside of tube 14. The blood flows or dripsfrom the wound in the mouth of the bird into tube 14, through which itpasses into pail 20 where the blood is held until disposal. Upon removalfrom the bird the feathers are dropped into receptacle 25.

If the bird is unusually small, the handle 6 and the tube 14 may beextended to the desired position for holding the bird firmly in aslanting position above receptacle 25. Such object may be effected bydisengaging dog, 9, from recess 7, 1n handle, 6, and permitting thehandle or holder to slide through sleeve 5 until the handle, 6, isextended to the desired position. The handle, 6, is then locked by meansof the dog, 9, engaging recess, 7. Support 11 is then elevated to thedesired height, carrying .with it tube 14.

claim 1,15aooa desired height. On the other hand, if the bird to bekilled and picked is of unusual length when extended, the holder and thetube, 14, may be adjusted so as to suspend the bird in a semi-verticalposition over the receptacle 25 by unlocking the handle, 6, and slidingit backward through sleeve 5 until the desired position is obtained andthen locking the handle in a fixed position by means of the dog 9. If itbe necessary to lower tube 14, such action may be accomplished byunlocking dog 17 and permitting support 11 to slide downward in channel10. As support 11 slides downward it carries with it tube 14. Whensupport 11 has been lowered sufficiently, said support may then be heldrigid by locking member 17 engaging recess 12.' The device may beadjusted in the manner described to suit the variations in length ofindividual birds to be dressed.

suspending the bird in the slanting position described causes the birdto be completely bled. It also enables the picker to handlethe bird in aclean and sanitary manner as only the hands of the picker need touch thebody of the bird, It further renders the picking operation to be easilyand quickly-performed for the reasons that all sides of the'bird may beconveniently reached and the picker can use both hands in removing thefeathers. It further renders the danger of bruising or scarring thebird, or tearing its skin, negligible. vBymeans of my device allfeathers removed from the birds may be saved, as well as the blood ofthe fowls, and devoted to such purposes for which they may be useful.

Having thus described my invention, I

1. A poultry picking frame, comprising a base having uprights securedthereto, a sleeve adjusted to one of said uprights having an adjustablehandle slidablj arranged therein, saidhandleprovided with a series ofrecesses and having a bifurcated hook suspended therefrom, and a dogadjusted to said sleeve for locking said handle, substantially asspecified.

2. A poultry pickin' frame, comprisin a base, uprights, one 0 which ischanne ed and provided with a do and a support, one of said uprightssecure at one end of said base and the channeled upright secured at theother end, said last mentioned upri ht receiving in the channel asupport provi ed with a series of recesses having secured thereto acollar, to which is movably adjusted a tube. provided with a shield anda hook at its upper end, said dog adapted to .engage sald recesses forelevating and said support 11 in a locked position, there y maintainingtube 14 at the of recesses and having a bifurcated book awaooa loweringsaid support in said channel, substantially as specified.

3. A poultry picking frame, comprising a base, having uprights securedthereto, a sleeve adjusted to one of said uprights having an adjustablehandle slidably arranged therein, said handle provided with a seriessuspended therefrom, a dog adjusted to said sleeve for lockin saidhandle, and means for supporting t e head of the fowl in a fixedposition, substantially as specified.

4. A poultry picking frame, comprising a base, uprights, one of which ischanneled and provided with a dog, and a support, one of said uprightssecured at one end of said base and the channeled upright secured at theother end, said last mentioned upright receiving in the channel thesupport provided with a series of recesses having secured thereto acollar, to which is movably adjusted a tube provided with ashield and ahook at its upper end, said dog adapted to engage said recesses forelevating and lowerin said support in said channel, and means orsupporting the feet of the fowl in a fixed position, substantially asspecified.

5. The combination of a support, a re: ceptacle, and means forsuspending a fowl on the support in an inclined position, whereby whenthe fowl is lanced, itsblood willdrain into the receptacle.

6. The combination of a sufport, a recep tacle and adjustable means orsuspending a fowl on the support in an inclined posi- .tion, wherebywhen the fowl is lanced its blood will-drain into the receptacle.

7. The combination of a support, means for suspending a fowl at itsextremities with its head downward, a receptacle, and a shield "onsaidreceptacle designed to direct the flow of blood to said receptaclewhen the fowl is slaughtered.

8. The combination of a support, adjustable means for suspending a fowlat its extremities with its head downward, a receptacle, and a shield onsaid receptacle designed to direct the flow of blood on said receptaclewhen the fowl is slaughtered.

9. The combination of a Lil-shaped support adapted to support acontainer for feathers, means for suspending a fowl at its extremitieswith its head downward, a, receptacle, and a shield on said receptacledesignedto direct the flow of blood to said receptacle when the fowl isslaughtered.

'10. The combination of a U-shaped support, adjustable means forsuspending a fowl at its extremities with its head downward,-areceptacle, and a shield on said receptacle designed to direct the flowof blood on sdaid receptacle when the fowl is slaughtere In testimonywhereof, I, a llix my signature in the presence of subscribed witnesses.

HOWARD C. PIERCE.

Witnesses: 1

MILLIGAN C. KmPA'rmcK, 11 BBe-..

